A Quilt Top for Malachi

I am a minimalist and have in past times discarded scraps of fabric that were not big enough for another project into the trash - yes - the trash - but a few years ago I took it into my head that I could make quilts with the scraps I thusly got rid of with such lack of thrift and creativeness. So I began to save scraps that were decent-sized, until I accumulated a whole tubful. In a fit of organization last year, I divided all the scraps into different bags, labeled by color family - blues, greens, neutrals, pinks, etc. I enjoyed that. I like organizing things. The fat rows of bags snugly packed back into the tub gave me an ecstatic thrill.

A few months ago, I spent a half hour per day for a few day successively, tearing some of the scraps into 4” squares. I figured if I had the squares already torn and pressed, I would be more likely to actually sew a quilt top with them. I was right. In the course of a few days in December, I made Judah a 9-patch quilt, twin-sized and tied. It made a very very very small dent in my squares. And an even smaller dent in my scrap fabric stash.

I was getting sick of seeing piles of squares everywhere in my sewing area. They seemed to breed and multiply. No matter how I put them up, or into what dim and dismal drawer I might shut them, they somehow escaped and reappeared. I ignored them. They silently screamed at me. They made their way into the towel cupboard, the laundry baskets, on top of books on our bookshelves until I could ignore them no longer. I had to use them up.

Last week, in spare time between sewing up David’s overalls, I pieced Malachi a quilt top. I meant to make one for him anyway but planned on giving it to him for his 2nd birthday. Due to the insubordination of my scrap squares, he is getting it sooner. To use up as many squares as I could, I made 9-patch blocks with sashing in between the blocks. I did not alternate them with plain squares, like I did with Judah’s quilt. I used up a good many squares this way but I still have a lot left in more “girly” prints and colors. I guess I’ll need to make another top pretty soon. I was happy with how it came out although not all the seams match up like they should. I didn’t try to coordinate anything in the quilt so it is a true “scrap” quilt. Some of the colors clash, and some of the plaids and prints are downright ugly, but altogether I am pleased with how it looks in the end. Since Malachi still has his baby quilt that he sleeps with I am going to take my time in finishing it. I would like to hand quilt all of it instead of tying it. I don’t know how long that will take me, but I think it will look nice in the end.

Since this week is the last week in February, I’ve been scrambling to get all my outside sewing projects done. I didn’t think I’d had much to do over the winter but it turned out to be more than I thought. My goal was to get it all completed before the end of February so I could focus on sewing for our own family after that. I finished my friend Katherine’s summer sheer dress this week and made her two petticoats for beneath it so that is done. Today I finished up some clothing items for a little 5 year old boy in our reenacting group.

I knew since last fall I’d be making him some things over the winter but it took me a while to figure out exactly WHAT to make for him. He could possibly wear tunics at this age, or button suits, or even dresses but it was hard to find a balance between what would be common in the period, and yet acceptable to his parents and to himself, that is, not too girly looking or too different from the clothes he wears in modern life. And in all this, the garments had to be big enough to fit him until the end of the season, allowing for growth and expansion, as needed.
I settled on some side-opening trousers (a style that can be worn by little boys), a few basic square cut shirts, a sack coat and a cloth cap and some button-on braces to hold the trousers up. All together he has a red plaid cotton shirt, a white cotton shirt, brown twill full length trousers, gray corderoy and also black cotton twill short trousers, cotton canvas braces, a fully lined gray corderoy sack coat with black cotton trim, a black cotton twill cap with a flat sewn taffeta bow tacked on at the side and a blue and white spotted cotton necktie. I didn’t make him any under things since they weren’t requested and I’m not sure what sort of under things he is used to in modern life since he is currently in the process of being fully potty trained. I hope these will last him til the end of the fall!

I feel very happy and fulfilled that I have finished all this before the end of February. Now I have a few more days “extra” in the month. That is always a good feeling.

And to keep me company, please allow me to introduce a certain gentleman who has been staying with us these past seven months. He is a gentleman of clean and quiet habits and, if perhaps tending a bit too much to indolence and lethargy, we acquit him of these charges in lieu of his polite manners.

His proper name is Nathan Bedford Forrest, but we affectionately call him “Kitty” or “Cat” and only rare use his full title. David brought him home as a wee thing, perhaps only three or four weeks old, back in September. He and three sisters were left inside a pipe leading into our church and no mother was seen and so, a few days after the babies were discovered, David brought our little boy home. He is a striking kitty, mostly white with a silver tinge and darker silver on his striped tail (it looks like a coon tail) and on his face and the tips of his ears. His eyes are still blue. And we all love him. Judah and Malachi use him for a pillow and he has never hissed. Being raised with our boys since an infant himself, our Mr. Cat does at times display the fact that he feels himself quite on an equal level with humans, but that is forgivable.
Love,
Sarah

A Week of Overall Making

David is one of those guys who is hard on his clothes. And he also rarely ever buys clothes. We have been married for over four years and in that time I can only remember him buying new clothes three times. On those rare, great, breathtaking occasions he wearily went to Farm and Fleet and, after looking at all they had to offer and after great thought and mental anguish he purchased the inevitable overalls and plaid shirts. He has a suit, which he never wears, and otherwise his monotonous attire has been the overalls and button shirt look.

He is, as I have said, very hard on his clothes. I hated it when he bought overalls since they faded very quickly and soon developed holes in the knees and the back pockets, where he keeps his wallet. I was forever patching and mending them. The buttonholes always stretched out or tore and it drove me crazy figuring out how to sew them smaller and tighter. His plaid shirts likewise soon wore out. I told him it was because he only had two or three, and that if he had more and wore the ones he had less, they would last longer. He didn't go for that. He could only wear one shirt at a time, he said, and no matter what shirts they were, they would wear. Besides, he pointed out, shirts in his size are expensive (he wears a Tall size, which is hard to come by).

I decided to learn how to make classic button-down shirts. I took a pattern off of his favorite green flannel shirt (A happy, yet olden-day purchase from the ubiquitous Farm and Fleet) and made two in plaid flannel shirting from Jo Anns. He wore them, but complained they were too loose. So I made more mid-19th century style shirts. The plain, square-cut style. He wore those without complaint, except with each new shirt he'd tell me to make the next one longer.

With some garage sale and thrift store finds, his shirt wardrobe at the beginning of this year seemed well rounded out. He had a nice variety of button shirts in various colors and plaids. I turned my attention to overalls.

I made him a green corderoy set a few months ago as a practice run on mid-19th century style overalls since he decided he wanted to dress more old-fashioned for everyday wear. He loves them and wears them all the time and so far, they are holding up really well. They still look new. But he needs a few more pairs to round out his trouser department so I have been working on some twill overalls for him this week. They are the same mid-19th century style as his corderoy ones. To add durability, I topstitched all the seams. The tan overalls are machine topstitched but I decided to hand topstitch his blue twill ones, just in case he wants to wear them for an earlier impression. And besides, I like how hand topstitching looks. :) Even so, I was very disgusted with the length of his legs by the time I finished topstitching the leg seams yesterday - it took two and a half hours! I'm still not quite done, but hope to have them finished so he can wear a new pair to church on Sunday.

And lest you think I have done no feminine sewing at all lately, here are some pictures of some recent projects (from the end of January).

First, here is my new covered cage! :) I had decided to make a new one for this reenacting season since my Kay Kit cage bit the dust. I calculated the cost of materials for a new one, in the design I wanted, at around $50. Not bad. But after thinking some more I realized I could recycle the steels from the dilapidated cage and put them into casings for my new one. (the steels in the uncovered cage had the covering coming off of them, but that would make no difference in a covered cage). Then I realized I had some fabric sitting by, unused. So the cage ended up costing nothing to make. I used Simplicity 7216 for the skirt portion, cutting the length off quite a bit above the original hem line. (The finished length measurement on this particular pattern is REALLY long - cages should end about mid calf length or a bit below to prevent tripping!) I used cotton canvas for the inside casings - I paid no heed to the casing lines on the pattern and just drew my own on - and after that it was just a matter of threading the seven steels into the casings and closing up the openings.

The finished cage gave a nice circumference and shape, but it was a bit flat in the back. My last cage was also a bit flat in the back. I decided to make a "bum pad" to help give a bit more "oomph" to the back. I made a slightly crescent shaped pillow and stuffed it with filling from an unused feather pillow in our possession. I sewed on twill tape ties and tried it on beneath the cage and - it worked! It gives a nice back thrust. I tried it on without the cage and it will work wonderfully with plain petticoats for occasions when I do not need to wear a cage. I love eras where it is desirable and pretty to have a big bum. :) Finally, here is a new slat bonnet. I had only a very small amount of this fabric left from making Judah's quilt, so the crown area is pieced in 3 places. The bias cut ruffle around the edge is pieced in 12 places! Still, it is hard to tell where the piecing is. The dark color and print help to hide the joins. It is a basic style but I wanted to pretty it up a bit, thus the bias ruching. The fullness in the ruching is very minimal - just 25% bigger than the edge of the sunbonnet - but it still fulled up nicely, thanks to the bias cut of the fabric. I have so much left to do for our reenacting season. And I'm already burned out on mid-19th century sewing. I'm in a regency mood again! And I need to make some 18th century petticoats so I can get started on my 1780's/1790's gowns. :P

In the meantime, I think I'll go have a nice hot cup of coffee, season the steaks for dinner and let them chill for the next hour and then go for a walk with the boys to the end of the drive and back (quite a distance, really!) since spring is coming! And the snow is nearly gone. We will be out just in time to see the sun set.

Love,

Sarah

A Uniform of the U.S. Navy

David has a particular friend, who, several months ago, asked me if I would be willing to make him a navy uniform. I was only too delighted to comply; when Judah was a baby I had the very great pleasure of conversing with a very charming gentleman portraying a U.S. sailor at a Civil War school day demonstration and ever since that time have longed to make a navy uniform. David, not being inclined to that style, has never given me the opportunity.

Ah! The gallant and gregarious Mr. Huber! Who else would ask me to make a navy uniform? Who else would give me this chance to fulfill a dream of mine? How very glad I am of David's choice of friends.

I had no idea where to begin. For, beyond seeing men in navy uniforms and having a picture of my own father in his navy uniform, I was not even sure of the overall style. I inquired about this at the Civil War Reenactors Discussion board and received many helpful replies. Here are some excerpts below:

"For frocks (also modernly called jumpers) and undershirts, Tom Apple created a pattern which can be found at the website for the Naval Landing Party or my home unit the USS Fort Henry (www.ussforthenry.com - in the research section). For trousers, your best bet is to get a commercial broadfall trouser pattern and straighten the leg. They weren't bell bottomed, just one width from thigh to hem. There were many variations for naval clothing, as much of it was ship-board made, by amauteur or semi-pro tailors or by the sailors themselves. You can also use a commercial pattern for mule ear style, buttonfly civilian trousers with the same wider leg. Only a percentage of naval trousers were actually fallfront, most were button fly as deduced from viewing hundreds of images. Larger ships carried bolts of cloth for this process to occur. If you've got the Union version of Echoes of Glory, there are just a couple of styles shown which can help guide the tweaking process. With the Tom Apple frock pattern and a good commercial trouser pattern like Homespun Patterns, etc, with some tweaking you can come up with something." ~ courtesy of Mr. Ross Lamoreaux

"Naval uniforms of the day were made of anything blue the Sailors could get their hands on. Even issue uniforms were not standardized. The "Frock"(called a jumper after 1913) was generally made of a light weight flannel much like US Army contract shirts. The trousers were generally of a heavier kersey. There are surviving uniforms where the frock and trousers were made of the 8-10 oz wool flannel that Army fatigue blouses (Sack coats) were made from. This fabric actually continues in use as the standard fabric and color of US Navy uniforms until the big change in 1933 when the Navy goes to the heavy dark melton that was worn through WW2 into the 1970s.Ross is correct in that the most common style of trousers were fly front with mule ear pockets. Mostly fall front trousers survive today because they were non regulation and reserved for, again, going ashore on liberty. Some fall front trousers were worn aboard ship, but they were not the norm for daily wear, and at that time the Navy was issueing fly front mule ear pocket trousers. The sizing gussett in the rear tends to be about 5-6 inches deep. This is because the trousers are to fit snug from the waist to the top of the hips. They should fit loosely from there down to allow freedom of movement. The best way is to get a measurement at the natural waist (have him stand at attention), then subtract one inch. Once the uniform is finished, the undershirt and frock are tucked in. Then tighten up the sizing gussett. Funny story, when I was training Naval recruits, one of my favorite days was when the recruits tried on their dress blue trousers for the first time. They would pull them on and then I would tell them that bunk mates were to tighten up and tie the laces of their bunkmates Always a great bunch of expressions on the young lads faces with that one. The formula for cuff width is measure the thigh, add four inches and carry that from crotch to cuff.On the frocks. The collar (that is what that hangy down thing in the back is called) was not a standard length. 9 inches was pretty common, but photos and originals tell us they could be any whaer from standard shirt collar length to 11 inches. When you are putting the frock together, if you think of it as a collar, you will be able to work with it easier. The length of the frock should be fairly long. Again, it was to be tucked in and worn some what "blousey at then waist. When the sleeves are unbuttoned, the edge of the cuff should hang to the first knuckles on the hand. They should be a bit blousey also. This was so the Sailor could reach and stretch his arms out and not be restricted in movement by his clothing. That is not good 90 up in a mast." ~ courtesy of Mr. Steve Hesson

"Small portable sewing machines (the Singer 1858 seems to have been very common) turn up in lists of Bo's'un's Stores regularly. However, since the period machines could not do some of the functions of modern machines, there is a combination of machine and hand sewing in every thing. First off, the period machines could not back up. So, to end a stitch, you either have to release the presser foot and move the fabric back and run it again, or spin the garment around and then run it. Or, pull the threads to the back, tie them off (with a square knot of course) and bury the threads,. We chose this method as we could not find evidence of "Back Stitching" on any original Navy clothing we examined.Also, all seams on Naval clothing were felled. This included heavy wool trousers. They may not have been able to turn the fabric under to flat fell, but the seam allowance would be pressed to one side and sewn again. This had a practical reason. Sailors clothing was made to last. On a four year cruise across the Pacific (My personal favorite ocean), if you blow the seat out of your trousers, no wagon is going to drop off another bail in the company street, and you're not walking over to the store to get some new ones. Felling the seams reinforces the seams and makes the garment last longer. Again, we have never found an original piece of Naval clothing that did not have all sseams felled. Along the lines of reinforcememt. Naval garments had "Crows Feet" or "Sprats Head" reinforcement "tacks" placed in various stress points. In the frock, they appear at the base of the "V" of the collar and on the corners of the pockets. These of course had to be hand done. Additionally on the frock collar, there was a run of button hole or blanket stitching along the opening of the "V" up about a half inch. This was reinforced becaust when the garment is removed, it is grabbed at the neck and pulled over the head.In the trousers, there are crows feet at the base of the side slashes in fall front trousers and at the base of the opening of the rear size gussett in all of them. Of course, all eyelets (size guessett and the laundry eyelets) were all hand done. Most Naval trousers we have seen have also had a patch put over the crotch on the inside to reinforce the spot where all the crotch seams come together. If you go to the images section of our web site, you can get an idea of what I'm talking about with all of this http://www.hesson-clothiers.com/pics.htmWith fabrics, the biggest thing to get folks to understand is that the frocks and trousers do not need to match in color (shade of blue). Just be close. Since they were rarely made of the same fabric, the dye lots seldom match. The matching of color fabric is a 20th century thing. Actually, the Navy struggeled with getting it's blue uniforms to match until 1963! I remember my father going to get a new set of blues. He found a jumper that fit and then had to wade through stacks of trousers to find a pair that a), fit and b) were pretty close to the same shade of blue as the jumper. That was one of the reasons that Sailors back in the day got "Tailor Made Blues" of Gabardine or some other non reg fabric. Sorry, "back in the day" in this case is 1933 to 1973. So don't be afraid if the shades are a bit off. Thst is historically correct. As Ross mentioned, the Federal Blouse Flannel from Whambaugh, White and company is a fantastic fabric, and this fabris was used for both frocks and trousers in the Navy. Dark blue satinette was also a favorite, probrbly the most commonly used fabric, sadly, no one makes it any more and I don't think you will see it being made (no market for it). I have a set made from old Family Heirloom Weaver Blouse flannel and love them. I really like the fact that I am wearing a light weight uniform while all the Army guys are sweating in their 20+oz gear. Really looking forward to next year and trotting out my blue denim work uniform (same style as all other Navy uniforms, just blue denimOne thing I mentioned earlier about cuff width on the trousers. The rule is measure the thigh, add four inches and use that measurement from crotch to cuff. OK, depending on the size of the thigh, you really want to stay around the 26 inch cuff zone. Remember, these uniforms were meant for "Athletic/Runner" body styles. The last set of originals we conserved were for a Sailor who measures out at 6 feet 2 inches tall with a 37 inch chest and a 27 inch waist!" ~ courtsey of Mr. Steve Hesson

With this information to start with, I then spent a while looking at every picture of original sailors that I could find. Meanwhile, Mr. Huber was sent on the look for appropriate fabric and soon purchased several yards of a fine wool flannel. Though the trousers should be heavier, he did not mind that they would be lighterweight, since he intends this uniform only for wear during balls. (It should be noted here, that despite Mr. Huber's many excellent qualities, he is NOT a progressive, but quite happy as a "good-enough-mainstreamer".) :) The wool is of excellent quality, however, and I think will wear very well.

After Christmas Mr. Huber brought his fabric to me so that I could begin work on his uniform. He was appropriately measured and patterns decided upon. Going with the above advice, I decided to make a mule ear, buttonfly trouser using an adaption of a civilian trouser pattern. I had several patterns to choose from and ended up using Past Patterns Light Summer Trouser pattern, altered for a mule ear pocket and altered for width at the thigh and hem. I made the trousers up but forgot to add a sizing gusset at the back center seam - and made tabs and a buckle before I even thought of the sizing gusset! I don't know what I will do. I may take the tabs off, open up the seam and put the gusset in after all. I probably will end up doing that. It will bother me too much if I don't.

I was very nervous about the frock since I have never made anything like it before. I downloaded the Tom Apple Frock pattern and spent a few days reviewing it. Yesterday I sized it up, cut out the pieces and today finished the frock. It is show without the neck tie (or neckerchief, whatever the proper term may be!) since Mr. Huber has his own tie he plans to use with this, which is at his own house, of course. The seams are all felled and all the buttonholes are hand made, as usual. The decorative topstitching at the slit opening I outlined with a chain stitch in silk twist, just to give the design a bit more "oomph" and make it stand out a bit from the fabric. It was very easy to make. I added a breast pocket per Mr. Hubers request where he can store his whistle.

I lengthened the collar just a tad bit, so its finished width is about 9".
And, lastly, I sewed up a flat cap. Mr. Huber has another purchased cap that he obtained prior to his obtaining his fabric but it did not fit him quite well. This one is made with leftover scraps from the uniform and is quite plain. I do not know what sort of insignia Mr. Huber would desire for the center, so the top has no decoration. In many photos I've seen, the caps appear to have a round decoration in the top center and, based on information I've read, this was a certain defining insignia that sailors would put on their caps to indentify themselves so that, in a battle, one would not mistakenly fire upon ones own friend.

I long to make another uniform now. The first of anything is always a practice run and even though I am happy with how this came out I think I could do a better job on a second uniform. Hmm. Perhaps I can convince Mr. Huber to allow me to make him a summer frock. . .

Love,

Sarah ~ who is really ready to delve into feminine sewing once more, and is eyeing with keen anticipation a bolt of pretty blue and white calico ~ but pray! ~ which era to sew from?

Tunics for David and Judah

The past few weeks I've been sewing on various reenacting projects. I have had some outside projects for others (including, much to my delight, a U.S. Navy uniform for David's best guy friend - what can I say - I have a weakness for the look of a man in a navy uniform :P) and have been steadily working away the list of things to make for us all here. Malachi, thanks to hand me downs, will need only a few under shirts and some drawers but the older boys need all new things since they have grown at an astonishing rate since the autumn and the clothes I made them then, intending them to be used again this spring, are already far too small for comfort.

After experimenting last year with tunics and button suits, I decided I like the look of a button suit better than a tunic but as far as growth room and versatility, tunics cannot be beat. To that end, I drew up a detailed sketch of each garment I will be making the boys and these tunics are the first to result from the pre planning stage.

They were designed and styled for maximum use. Their points of usefulness for cooler weather are as follows:

• Long sleeves and high neckline
• Loose fit, allowing warm undershirts to be layered beneath as needed.

For warm weather:

• Long sleeves with cuff can be rolled up for use in very hot weather.
• Loose fitting belt allows maximum airflow at the waist
• Short, flared skirt allows airflow - something that would be restricted with a button-suit style.
• 100% cotton lightweight fabric

For growth:

• Loose fit, allowing garment to be worn (hopefully!) until next year at least.
• Long skirts, just above the knee now, can be worn until thigh length
• Long sleeves, gathered and poufy at the wrist now, can be worn until sleeve is too short to hit at wrist level.
• A-line style and loose fitting belt can be worn until the boys waist measures 25" (considering I had a 25" waist at age 13, they will likely not outgrow this area for some time)
• Very dropped shoulder can be worn until shoulder hits just below the arm/shoulder join on the body.

The boys are really pleased with their new "shirts" and have been wearing them around the house, just so they can get used to them. In prior experience, they have been uncomfortable when wearing a new garment at a reenactment since they are not yet used to the feel of it and how they can move in it. I have been pleased to observe that these tunics are totally unrestrictive. The boys have climbed, jumped, wrestled, ran and eaten while wearing these and they don't even seem to notice they are wearing them anymore.

The next tunics will be a yoked style, with a full gathered lower portion falling from a chest level yoke. I plan on them having just as much room for growth as these.

For their trousers and coats, I wanted to use corderoy but haven't been able to find any decently priced corderoy in the local stores - and the corderoy that does exist, is such of a hideous color and inferior quality. Yesterday David and I and the boys went to Wal Mart to get a new zip drive for the computer and I looked at their fabric selection (which I have been disappointed with lately) and found several colours of good quality, firmly woven, smooth, cotton twill fabric - for $1.50/yard! Needless to say I snatched some up so hope to get their trousers and coats made within the next few weeks (as well as a few more pair of overalls for David). I just don't know how long I should make their coats? They will be a sack style, but I don't know if I should make them long enough to cover the skirts of their tunics or shorter? I think longer would be better. . .but have never seen an original photo of a coat/tunic being worn to have a better idea of what would be correct.

We are having a beautiful mid-winter snowfall!

Love,

Sarah

A Summer Gown for Katherine

My sweet friend Katherine and I have spent the past few months discussing different styles and fabrics for a new gown for her. At first, I was to make her a dancing dress but after thinking it over some, she thought a day dress style would be more useful for her. She wanted something very light since the heat of an Illinois summer can be oppressive, and something suitable for both wear during active impressions during the day and for dancing in the evening. We decided upon the "summer sheer" style of dress as the one most suited to her needs, and I was thrilled to begin making the gown up. In the middle of January, as it was when I began the dress, with snow and frost and ice in every direction when I looked outside, the soft, light fabric and airy style brought to mind times of warmth and liveliness and joy and great was my anticipation for the spring to come.

The fabric is an all-cotton voile, a very pale blue printed with viney motifs and darling dark blue and yellow flowers. The entire dress is unlined, except for the bodice, which has a half-high lining of white cotton. The fashion fabric is gathered gently in the center front and at the center back, and the skirt is fully gathered. The white cotton collar is simply basted in and can easily be removed for seperate laundering.

One feature that we included is the removable undersleeve. Katherine thought short sleeves would be very nice for dancing in so the long lower sleeve (a loose coat sleeve style) fastens seperately to the armscye, allowing the short ruffled sleeve to be worn alone if desired.
The dress is not quite done, as it yet needs to be hemmed (with a facing) and I need to make two petticoats to be worn beneath it, but it does not need much work at all and very soon it will be ready to be put away til the warmer weather arrives. And then, I will be so very pleased to see my dear friend wearing this gown! I think she will look beautiful in it.

Thank you all for your sweet concerns about my late absence. Our computer was in the shop due to its need of a new video card. Due to our computers age, such a video card had to be come by from "recycled parts" from other old computers. But, at last, it is installed and nicely working again.

I have much enjoyed my little break from the internet and from blogging. How sweet it is to focus solely on my children and husband and little household when I am not, at various times of the day, tempted to check the email or different sewing message boards or various blogs. The absence of such irresistible delights were a relief indeed, and I found my mind growing clearer from my abstinance and able to think more about different household topics and I have, in short, been much more industrious and cheerful since I have not anything else from the outside world to occupy my time. In fact, I have tried (though unsucessfully, but not without sympathy from him) to convince David to not have the internet in our home at all. For it is a really dreadful time-eater and its conveniences do not, in my opinion, outweigh its tendencies to sloth and idleness.

Thus, I do not plan to give up blogging completely but I do intend to make it a less frequent habit. I will try to post something once a week or so perhaps, but I have found through this change much that is an improvement to my mind and character.

Have a dear and beautiful day!

Love,

Sarah

Making an 1860's Fashion Bonnet, Pt. 1

I have been feeling driven by unseen forces to make our necessary clothing items for this years reenactment season now. For the first time since I have had children, I am taking somewhat of an interest in developing my own personal wardrobe. I have been very apathetic towards reenacting for a while, if not openly hostile. However, this year I am really excited about the season starting and since the boys are older and are behaving so well now, I think this year will go splendidly. For a long time I have wanted a fashion bonnet. Being me, of course, I didn't want to spend money on a purchased one. Even before I was married, when I really could afford a nice fashion bonnet, just spending $200+ on a bonnet went against my common sense. I tried to make my own. That failed. The one that actually seemed to suceed was sat upon at the first reenactment I wore it to by a gentleman of large and heavy countenance. It, to put it flatly, was squashed. It was a rather pretty bonnet too. Purply-silver silk with cream silk ties, and trimmed with white net and yellow roses. Alas. It had a very short life.

I have been developing my love for the Practical Sunbonnet these past years. I have made lots of sunbonnets. I've made several woolen hoods for winter time and knitted a sortie cap that, with fringe and pretty ribbons, gave a "fancier" appearance than a plain sunbonnet.

But now. The time has come to make a fashion bonnet. I really do need one to wear to different events where one would be the obvious choice of headware for a woman of the period. I dug some buckram out of my stash and raided David's toolboxes for wire and wire cutters. Using one of the first patterns I ever bought, a Millers Millinery pattern (slightly modified) I cut out the shape with buckram and covered the edges with tape enclosed wire. For lack of a Fake Head, these flowers model the buckram form for you to see:

And the front view:Once the form was finished, I breathed a sigh of relief. The form was always a terribly hard thing for me to finish in my prior attempts. I turned my thoughts to the covering. I asked my friend Amy for advice and, not really knowing what I was doing, I first covered the tip with a piece of cotton batting and then sewed on the tip covering in brown taffeta. (I've always always always wanted a brown bonnet). Then I had to decide what kind of covering I wanted on the outside - smooth, or drawn? I've always always always wanted a brown drawn bonnet. The drawing part looked so incredibly complicated, but thanks to some great informational posts about creating this style on the Sewing Academy, I cut two rectangles from the taffeta, sewed some narrow tucks into each one and started drawing the tucks over flexible, narrow reed. (A lovely gift from my friend Amy!) Forgive my hideous ironing board cover. We have hard water. I need to make a new cover. I was stunned and pleased when I had good results with it. It was exactly the look I was going for. I sewed the first drawn row around the tip. Then I started drawing up the second row. I think that was a mistake. I think I ought to have drawn up all the rows while the rectangle was still flat - not sewn to the form - because it was incredibly difficult to thread the reed through the channel while the rectangle was sewn to the form. Several times, the reed broke when I was almost done threading it and I had to take it all out and do it over again. I sweated and trembled, but at last the first rectangle was done. Here is a picture of the first rectangle-in-progress:Then I had to cut another rectangle to cover the brim area. This overlaps the other rectangle at the sides, and just meets the other rectangle at the center front, to account for the curved shape of the brim. The first row of reed I sewed along the brim line, then the rest were drawn up and tacked at the edges. Once that was done, I tacked the covering to the form in a few places. Then, gasp, the most horrid thing happened and a reed broke while I was tacking the last place down. I didn't feel like taking the reed out to replace it, so I sewed through the reed before and after the breaking point to hold it in place. I plan to cover that spot with trim, so hopefully it will not be noticeable on the finished item.

I then bound all the edges of the bonnet with bias cut from the fashion fabric. For fun, I experimented with some different trim ideas for the outside. I feel I don't want very much trim on the outside, since the drawn fabric is pretty decorative in and of itself. However, I like this trim pretty well, although in the final version it will be tacked into place a bit more thoughtfully than this appears, just being stabbed in with a pin:

Next part: Sewing in the facing and lining. Which has yet to be finished! Then the curtain, ties, and trimmings. . .

And dear readers, your opinion and taste is desired - what colors for trimming (inside the brim, flowers and such) would look well with this color brown? I desperately want yellow roses, but David doesn't think yellow and brown would look very nicely together.

Love,

Sarah

18th Century Stays

My project the last few weeks has been my first set of 18th century style stays. For those of you who follow my Historical Clothing blog, you may have read a bit about these on my dress diary page. I finally finished these on Saturday. I tried them on but wasn't quite sure if the fit was right so I asked a few experienced and knowledgeable ladies their opinions. As a result, I learned these will be best suitable for the late 18th century (which is what I wanted - yay!) since they are shorter in the waist than earlier 18th century stays. I also was encouraged to take in the front width a little. My original stays did not have a center front seam, but I was able to take in the width by slashing down the center front of all layers, removing the middle two bones and thus create a seam down the middle. This took in the width about 1 and 1/4" and the fit is much better now. On my next stays, I think I will make the back longer and maybe the sides a tad longer but I think these will work well for what I want to use them for now. They are very comfortable and supportive. In these pictures the colors show up a lot lighter than they really are, but it was the only way I could get them to show any detail.

They are made with instructions and tips being taken from all sorts of places - the Marquise instructions on making 18th century stays, Mara Riley's instructions on making 18th century stays, Cherry Dawsons stay making notes, JP Ryans strapless stays pattern instructions and illustrations and descriptions of extant stays in Nancy Bradfield's Costume in Detail.

They are made of two middle layers of cotton canvas, an outer layer of plum colored wool, a lining layer of pink linen and are bound all around with a golden brown colored taffeta. They are boned in the half-boned style, which, although using less bones than fully boned stays, are still much stiffer and unyielding than the most highly-boned Victorian corset that I've ever made!

The back lacing is made for spiral lacing which uses a single lace. The eyelets match at the top and bottom but are offset all the way down. This is different than the cross lacing I'm used to with Victorian style corsets but - I like it!

These pictures were taken last night of my adjusted stays - I don't really care to show the pictures of them before I created the center seam since they were so awful! :) I'm sorry they are blurry and dark, but I didn't feel like taking new pictures today and having to lace up those stays all by myself. That will take some getting used to! They are shown with my regency chemise since I haven't made a proper shift yet. I will be making my shift using the instructions in the JP Ryan Basic Women's Wardrobe pattern except I think I'll make a small cuff instead of using a drawstring in the sleeve. I particularly want to make three gowns to wear with these stays. One is a Caraco Jacket and petticoat from Janet Arnolds pattern, dated 1775-1785. The second is a round gown based on Janet Arnolds pattern for a polonaise, dated 1770-1785. I plan to use the bodice pieces but will make the skirt closed with a fall front opening instead of an open skirt.
The third is a chemise a la reine, which probably won't take place for a while since wearing white is just impractical for me at this point in my life. (children think Mommy's skirt is an always-available and accomodating napkin) But still, eventually I want to make one since I've wanted one for a long time. I'm thinking it would make a nice Easter dress. I don't have a picture of it, but you can see a beautiful reproduction that first inspired me to make one at Katherine's Dress Site.

Now, since the stays are done I really need to get out of the 18th century for a little while and focus on sewing for our upcoming Civil War reenactment season. What's more - I'm even in the mood for a little mid-19th century sewing. Next up is a wool underpetticoat for me, a civilian sack coat for David and some new trousers and a new hoop skirt since my old one has bit the dust. This time I'm making a covered hoop instead of a cage. The cage was nice but it just didn't hold up to heavy wear like I needed it to plus it was a tad bigger than I wanted (my new one will be in the 90's-ish range at the bottom). It lasted me about five or six seasons so I think I got my money's worth out of it. I would like to make a new corset too but it is not as necessary as some of the other things I need to make. The older two boys need new clothes since they have outgrown last years things, but Malachi can wear Judah's gowns and petticoats from last year. I don't want to make the boys things until just before the season starts since I don't know how much they may grow between then and now. Our first event is in Keokuk, Iowa at the end of April. Not really that far away if you think about it!

So much to do!

Love,

Sarah

End of the Year Sewing ~ Regency Short Stays

I have been on a wild cleaning spree since David went back to work after his Christmas break. The tree is taken down and the ornaments and decorations packed away. Today I swept everything up downstairs and mopped everything and dusted everything. Two days ago I spent three hours cleaning our tiny closet of a bathroom. With great joy did I vehemently scrub away the soap-spots on the tub with a bristle brush and baking soda! I've reorganized the office and sewing room, hung new pictures, taken old ones down, rearranged furniture and cleaned all the mirrors and windows. The end of the year hustle to make things nice before the new year begins. Sigh. It is always like that around here.

So, therefore, I have not had much to post about. Unless you want to hear about and see pictures of the newly reorganized and decluttered office closet, which I really had to clean out to be able to put away the Christmas things.

I did find time to finish up a set of short stays from the Sense and Sensibility Regency Underthings pattern. I got the pattern a few weeks ago and had not yet used it til yesterday when I cut out the short stays. I don't really need a new set but I was curious to see how they went together and if the size I normally make would work for me. They went together very easily and quickly - I finished them today - but the size is absolutely enormous on me. I can usually wear a pattern size 18 from the S&S things but not with this. My underbust measurement is 30". The underbust measurement on the finished size 18 stays is 37". WAY big. And the cup size, cut with gussets in a D cup, barely goes a quarter of the way up to the midline of the bust. The width of the cup could work for me, with some amount of squishing, but the gussets need to be a lot longer for my particular size. So. They are now For Sale, and I posted them in my Etsy shop. Somewhere out in this great world there must be someone whom these will fit prettily. I corded these, instead of boning them. I wanted to get in some practice on cording so I can remake my 1820's/1830's stays with cording instead of boning. I was shocked at how easy and how quick the cording process went. I have no idea why I have thought that cording took so much time and was so hard to do. It's not, and I love how it looks and how it gives firm yet flexible and comfortable support. I can't wait to make a fully corded corset of my own now!I have so many projects I want to start on right away. There is a gorgeous 1790's gown in Costume in Detail that I long to copy as well as a drop front regency dress that I simply am dying to make up. For some reason, post-Christmas is always a very regency time for me. It may have something to do with the fact that several Christmas's ago I received the dvd of Pride and Prejudice and consequently, each year at that time I get into a regency mood again. Plus I have my 18th century stays to keep working on and I also want to make all of us a Tudor outfit (peasant) for a Ren Faire about six months from now (if we go. We'll have to give up a CW reenacmtent to go to it and David still isn't sure if he's willing to do that or not!)

So much to do! So hard to know where to begin. In the meantime, I clean. For one can think and plan quite easily while one cleans and it is always more pleasant to sit down to sewing work when the house is tidy and everything neatly put into its own place.

May you all have a very blessed end of the year!

Love,

Sarah

1820's Christmas Dress

Today it has rained and rained, slowly and steadily and the rain has washed away nearly all of the snow we received a few days ago. The wind comes from the easterly direction and is warm. I don't think we shall have a white Christmas after all. Rather a brown and gray and silver sort of Christmas, with the wet and damp of the outdoors combated by a warm wood fire and smells of roast duck and cheesecake and cranberry-apple pie and a cut glass punchbowl simply swimming with ruby-red punch that David makes from ginger ale and frozen cranberry juice. (Assuming, of course, that the duck comes out well).

I finished the last of my Christmas gifts and have them all neatly packaged and wrapped. I was very proud of myself to have only to bake something for my grandparents before I was done with all my Christmas preparations. I whipped up a batch of cinnamon swirl bread and baked the two loaves as I have done countless times before. They came out terribly. The taste is excellent but it seems the loaves underwent some sort of writhing and twisting contortions while within the oven. The dough has burst open in some places revealing the brown and sugar crystaled interiors. I just cannot give these to my grandparents. It never fails that when I want to make something especially nice for someone dear to me that the thing I am making turns out wrong. Especially when it comes to cooking and baking. The fudge won't set, the cookies burn, the apples in the pie are still crunchy, the cake has a dip in the middle, you get the idea. Sigh. I will make a batch of my tried-and-true favorite blueberry muffin recipe tonight to give to my grandparents instead of the bread. If they don't turn out it is not my fault. I am under some sort of holiday-baking curse.

I finished my dress today - well, except for the hook and eyes - and am very happy with how it came out. I haven't had a new dress for Christmas for a long time and well, isn't every girl excited to have a pretty new frock to wear for a special occasion? :)

It took me a little while to figure out how I wanted to attach the ruffle. I debated over whether drawing it up over a cord or hemming the top side and attaching it directly to the skirt. At last I decided on a more practical solution that will hold up the best to every day wear and washing in a modern washing machine. I just gathered the ruffle and covered the top edge with a bias band and then turned under and hand stitched the top of the bias band to the skirt. This way I had way less handsewing to do (since I like to handstitch everything that can be seen from the outside) and it is very sturdy. I really like the ruffle. It gives a little added feminine flair and also helps the skirt obtain that characteristic 1820's triangular/gored shape.
The bias band also helps to hide the imperfections of the fabric I used. It was a $1.50 cotton from Wal Marts bargain table and the check is not woven, it is merely printed. The print was not exactly on grain so the lines of the print do not match the straight torn lines at the top and bottom of the skirt as well as the top and bottom of the ruffle. I chose to add the ruffle to hopefully help hide the lines of the print at the plain skirt hem and the bias band to hide the weirdly angling lines of the check where I attached the ruffle.

I decided to make just two bows for the bodice. They are placed slightly down on each shoulder and attached with a safety pin. The belt hooks closed in the back. A lot of fashion plates from the 1820's show gowns heavily trimmed but this is just a plain cotton day dress so I tried to think of something a girl from this area may have done, in a rustic backwoods community, to dress up a plain frock for a special event. The bows and belt seemed like a very simple and easy way to accomplish this and they can easily be removed and reattached whenever the need arises.

The necklace is a wood carved cross pendant on a black linen cord. The two items (cross and cord) were from David to put in my stocking. I decided to put them together and save him the trouble of having to figure it out for himself. :) I like the simplicity of it. And yes, the necklace is going back into his little "stocking goodie" bag so I can get it permanently on Christmas morning.

I am NOT looking forward to sewing on hook and eyes. You know when you reach that point of hand sewing where your fingers are rough and indented with millions of tiny pin and needle pricks and catch on everything you touch? I am at that point now. But I Must Get This Done. I suppose I will work on it while sitting directly in front of the oven watching my muffins with suspicion and passionate eagerness - "Oh, please come out right this time!"

I don't think I'll have time to post again until after Christmas, so I wish all you dear readers a most marvelous and wonderful God-filled day! Merry Christmas!!

Love,

Sarah

Preparations for Christmas

I was startled yesterday to realize it was one week - one week - til Christmas Eve. Where has December gone? It seems like just last week we were looking forward to Thanksgiving. When I was a child, the few weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas seemed to last forever. Now, they are gone in the blink of an eye.

The tree is up, and each day the mailman usually delivers a Christmas card or two from dear friends and beloved family. Each card is duly admired and read and then hung upon our mantle with the others, til Christmas Eve, when they will be taken down and replaced with our stockings.

The boys admire the tree and the lights but have no idea about the presents they will find beneath it on Christmas morning. In some ways, I envy their innocence. They aren't anticipating piles of gifts and when we go to the store they don't even look at the new toys stuffing the shelves. For them, the pretty lights and the fact there is a tree in the house in enthralling and interesting enough. This year, they are old enough to begin to understand about the baby Jesus who was born to save mankind from their sin. We have a sturdy ceramic nativity set that they enjoy playing with very much and the baby Jesus is of course their favorite piece!

As the years of our marriage have brought us children in quick succesion, David and I have not had much time to think about how we want to have Christmas for our family before the babies themselves were in our arms. Some traditions we have done away with (Santa Clause, for example, who is traditional in David's family), some we question and some we embrace. Some we would like to begin but have not done so yet.

This year, we have a tree, though which, perhaps, has it roots in pagan practices, symbolizes to David and I the tree upon which our dear Lord was nailed. His sacrifice was indeed the Greatest Gift, and the Christmas tree, overshadowing all the smaller gifts beneath, is a lovely reminder to us of this fact.

We are not giving slathers of presents to each other. I have mentioned before that Christmas is not my favorite holiday. I do not like the whole modern atmosphere of Christmas because of the focus on finding the "perfect gift", spending large amounts of money and impressing people with hosting grand Christmas parties. So David and I are giving a few toys and gifts to each of the boys and they have gifts from their grandparents as well. For each other, we set a small limit on spending funds and have got each other a few meaningful, useful gifts. We both know what we got for each other but the rule is that we will not be able to see or use our gifts until Christmas day. :)

I have been working on a few homemade gifts for other family members. Here is a sneak peek of a few of them:

"Patchwork"

"Victorian Roses"
"Autumn Colorsplash"
I have also been slowly working on my dress for Christmas Eve. It is going very slowly as I keep having to postpone work on it for some reason or the other. It is an 1820's style and I think this is the last dress I will make in this style for a little while. It is getting - old. I still really like the overall look, I'm just tired of making dresses with this overall look at the the moment. The process gets so monotonous. Here is the bodice. It is made of a cream and cranberry check cotton with a darted bodice, scoop neckline and piping. The sleeves are bishop sleeves, based on a drawing of different sleeve styles in Patterns of Fashion 1.
Here is the point of construction that I am at now. I have the skirt pinned to the waistband but not sewn on yet. The folded up fabric you see laying on the neck will be an 8" wide ruffle all around the hem. The skirt is made from one 45" wide rectangular panel in the back and three gores in the front. To make the gores I folded a 45" wide rectangle, cut to my preferred hem length, in half and drew out a gore that was appx. 15" wide at the top and 35" at the hem. The two pieces left over after I cut out the center gore I used as side gores. This gives maximum fullness at the hem but a smooth line at the top. I did lightly gather the front of the skirt in case I ever wear this if I am pregnant again. Room to grow is always a good thing!
To finish it, I plan to add the ruffle and trim the top of the shoulders with cranberry taffeta bows with perhaps another bow at the center front neckline and a cranberry taffeta sash or belt. I also just got the Sense and Sensibility Regency Underthings pattern and would love to make a turn back collared chemisette to wear with it from some sheer voile I have.

Once I finish my current projects I hope to make David a few suprise gifts for Christmas. He has asked for a nice handkerchief and a woolen night cap so I think I can get those made for him before Christmas Eve. I recently saw a beautifully hemstitched hem on Sarah A's blog that she is working on a ruffled collar edge. I would love to try out that technique on David's handkerchief. I've been reading online about how to do it but it seems there are at least several different ways to construct this stitch. Does anyone have any tips, advice or links? :)

Have a lovely weekend dear ones!

Love,

Sarah